Niners Nutrition: 49ers Healthy Eating Habits While at Home

[Sourdough Sam]

Making some major changes, like overhauling your diet while working from home, can be overwhelming and incredibly difficult to follow through on. Ignore fads, trending tips, and conflicting messages. Here are some key tips to kick off your healthy eating habits and losing those unwanted pounds while at home:


1. EAT A BALANCED BREAKFAST EVERY DAY


Start the day with protein, complex carbs, fruits, and vegetables. It'll set the tone for the day, help kick start your metabolism, and fuel your brain. Studies show you're less likely to eat later on in the day when you don't skip breakfast.


2. FILL HALF YOUR PLATE WITH VEGETABLES AT EVERY MEAL


Everyone could use more vegetables. They can help you feel fuller and help prevent overeating. Plus, they also contain a load of antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to help your body operate optimally.


3. PLAN AHEAD


If you take a few hours every weekend to meal prep for the week, you'll save money but also save on calories from eating out during the week.


4. DON'T BACKLOAD YOUR CALORIES


Eat your biggest meals around the times of the day that you're most active (for most people that's breakfast and lunch), then taper your caloric intake. This way, you burn off the calories when you need them and don't store them when you're not being active.


5. FOLLOW THE 80/20 RULE


Allow yourself to eat the foods you love, just in moderation. As the name suggests, you'll follow your fueling plan 80 percent of the time and 20 percent of the time you'll splurge on the foods that aren't that great for you.


6. GET ENOUGH SLEEP


The importance of getting enough quality sleep cannot be overstated, even when working from home. It may be just as important as diet and exercise, if not more. Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, throw your appetite hormones out of whack and reduce your physical and mental performance. What's more, it is one of the strongest individual risk factors for future weight gain and obesity. One study showed that short sleep was linked to 89 percent increased risk of obesity in children, and 55 percent in adults.


7. TAKE CARE OF YOUR GUT HEALTH WITH PROBIOTICS AND FIBER


The bacteria in your gut, collectively called the gut microbiota, are sometimes referred to as the "forgotten organ." These gut bugs are incredibly important for all sorts of health-related aspects. A disruption in the gut bacteria is linked to some of the world's most serious chronic diseases, including obesity. A good way to improve gut health, is to eat probiotic foods (like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kombucha), take probiotic supplements (but make sure it's the right one for you), and eat plenty of fiber. Fiber functions as fuel for the gut bacteria.


- Jordan Mazur, 49ers Coordinator of Nutrition